1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed towards a reinforced undergarment designed to support and shape predetermined portions of the wearer""s body. In one embodiment, the invention may comprise at least a pair of underpants, but in preferred embodiments, the invention is in the nature of a pair of underpants in combination with a pair either integrally formed or attached stockings, such that the undergarment comprises a pair of reinforced pantyhose. In either embodiment, the undergarment is formed of an at least partially elastic material of varying densities and includes a plurality of support portions which are specifically structured and disposed to exert retaining and/or supportive forces on various parts of a wearer""s body, including the buttocks, abdomen, waist, and upper thigh regions.
2. Description of the Related Art
The wearing of undergarments, whether simple underpants or more elaborate girdles designed to aid a person in the support and retention of certain body parts, is a well known and accepted practice. This practice is supported in great part due to the fact that the fashion trends in modern day society, which include the last several decades as well, have placed heavy pressure on women, almost exclusively, to have a slim and trim figure that can be likened to an hour-glass. However, there are a number of reasons, some of which people cannot control, for the failure of many women to achieve the slender and perfect figure which modern day society exhaults. Some of the reasons for the variance in the shape of people""s bodies include aging, child birth, over eating, lack of exercise, as well as certain distinct body characteristics and/or physical tendencies, any or all of which can serve to limit people""s potential for obtaining the current trend and preference for a slender body. In addition, even those people who are fortunate enough to have a body type which meets the current fashions, meaning a body which is generally tall, slender, etc., have relatively few years in their life span during which the aforementioned preferred body shape or configuration xe2x80x9cnaturallyxe2x80x9d occurs. This is the period of a person""s life, particularly women, when a slim attractive figure is less difficult to maintain, in terms of diet, exercise, etc. and is normally considered to exist during the late teens and the early twenties and/or those years of the person""s life that may generally be referred to as young adulthood.
Accordingly, many people, if not a majority of people in today""s society, require some sort of help in terms of trying to obtain an improved figure or body shape. Even some persons who are diligent in performing exercise and/or in following a healthy, low fat, reduced calorie diet may require some sort of help in achieving this goal. For example, as the body ages or upon the occurrence of events such as child birth, exercise and dietary restrictions are frequently not adequate, in and of themselves, to maintain a person""s slender, well shaped figure.
In years past, foundation garments such as girdles were used by women, and occasionally men, in the effort to project a slimmer, more acceptable figure, particularly in the area of the waist, abdomen, buttocks, etc. However, the conventional structure and design of such foundation garments involve the use of extremely dense elastic or other wearable material to surround and tightly retain the waist, abdomen and/or buttocks area of a wearer. The extended use of such girdles and similar foundation garments often result in the wearer becoming uncomfortable, at best, and in some instances, can be potentially harmful due to a reduction in circulation or blood flow to some of the areas of the body surrounded by such girdles. In addition, such conventional foundation garments also frequently included semi-rigid stays or similar reinforcing components, strategically located so as to further retain and/or constrict predetermined parts of the body, which may have more of a tendency to protrude or which were abnormally enlarged, such as is prevalent in people who are overweight. Discomfort associated with wearing such components is well known.
Because of these problems and other disadvantages associated with known foundation garments designed to aid in the shaping or support of certain portions of a wearer""s body, there remains a long felt need in the garment industry for an improved, reinforced undergarment. If any such improved undergarment were developed, it would preferably be reinforced or otherwise structured and designed to support and shape at least some parts of a wearer""s body which are commonly identified as xe2x80x9cproblemxe2x80x9d areas, such as but not limited to a xe2x80x9cpot-bellyxe2x80x9d or the xe2x80x9csaddle-bagsxe2x80x9d that many women have on their thighs just below the buttocks. In addition, any such improved undergarment would preferably also be reinforced or otherwise structured and designed to aid a person with at least temporarily improving her or his figure in a manner which is comfortable and which allows one to wear such reinforced undergarments for an extended amount of time. If any such improved undergarment were developed, it would preferably include at least an undergarment portion in the nature of a pair of underpants, although ideally, it would also comprise a pair of stockings or hose as well, which could either be permanently or removably secured to the underpants, so as to substantially define the undergarment as a pair of pantyhose. Although any such improved undergarment could have a variety of embodiments, it would preferably be at least partially formed from an elastic, flexible material, wherein at least the underpant portion is structured to include a plurality of interconnected support portions of varying densities which are configured to overly predetermined parts of a wearer""s body so as to support and otherwise retain and/or uplift the various, predetermined portions of the wearer""s body, and thereby, to collectively aid the body in assuming a preferred shape or configuration, without being uncomfortable or otherwise derogatorily affecting the wearer.
The present invention is intended to address these and other needs which remain in the art and relates to an improved undergarment. The undergarment of the present invention comprises in one embodiment, at least a pair of underpants, and in more preferred embodiments, a combination of underpants and fixedly attached or integrally formed stockings or hose, such that the undergarment assumes the form of a pair of xe2x80x9cpantyhosexe2x80x9d. Regardless of the embodiment, the undergarment of the present invention is specifically designed and structured to support and shape predetermined parts of the wearer""s body so as to provide an overall improved xe2x80x9cfigurexe2x80x9d through the exertion of retaining and supporting forces on the wearer""s body.
More specifically, the undergarment of the present invention is structurally reinforced such that at least the underpants are formed from an elastic, flexible material including a plurality of interconnected support portions which may vary relative to one another in density. For purposes of clarity, the term xe2x80x9cdensityxe2x80x9d, as used herein when referring to the various support portions of the undergarment structure, refers to the density of the weave of threads utilized in the formation of the undergarment. Specifically, the term xe2x80x9cDernierxe2x80x9d is used in this art as being representative of the xe2x80x9cweave countxe2x80x9d, wherein the higher the weave count number, the denser the material. Accordingly greater reinforcement or support forces may be exerted on the parts of the body which are contacted by support portions of the undergarment, which are more dense and thereby have a higher Dernier or weave count. By way of example, the material from which undergarment of the present invention is formed preferably includes a combination of Lycra(trademark) and Poliamide(trademark). One preferred percentage of such a combined composition would be Lycra comprising substantially 34% and Poliamide comprising substantially 66%. Naturally, other percentages of the combination of materials, as set forth above, could be utilized, as well as a variety of different materials other than those indicated. Further, with regard to the density of the material from which the various portions of the undergarment are formed, a representative range of the Dernier or weave count would be from substantially 40, representing the least dense components of the undergarment, to a Dernier of substantially 70, representing the more dense portions of the undergarment of the present invention.
More specifically, the structural features of the present invention include the underpants having an open upper end defining a waist portion and in certain embodiments including a waist band disposed in surrounding relation to the open upper end. When utilized, the waist band has a somewhat enlarged width and is formed from an elastic material of sufficient density to exert a retaining, supportive force about the waist, thereby providing the waist of the wearer with a slimmer appearance. The opposite end of the underpants terminate into conventionally disposed leg openings, which encircle opposite legs of the wearer about the respective thigh area. As set forth above, the undergarment of the present invention may be in the form of a pantyhose wherein, the underpants are permanently secured to the upper end of a pair of stockings or hose. Also, in the various embodiments of the present invention, the stockings may extend along the full length of the leg of the wearer and include feet and ankle enclosing portions, integrally secured to the lower end of the hose. Alternatively, the stockings may include open lower ends and may extend along only a portion of the length of the legs, such as above the knee or to a mid-calf location. The stockings are also formed from an elastic material preferably having a Dernier of 40, wherein the material from which the stockings are formed have sufficient density to at least exert a graduated support on the legs extending along their entire length, from the ankle towards the thigh of the wearer. The support of the legs in this manner thereby adds to the total leg comfort and facilitates extended wear of the undergarment of the present invention.
The underpants are dimensioned and configured to extend over at least a majority of those portions of the lower torso of the wearer wherein shaping and support are typically most needed and preferred. Accordingly, the plurality of interconnected support portions include at least a first support portion extending at least partially beneath the buttocks of the wearer. Further, the first support portion includes at least two elongated segments, wherein each segment includes a somewhat curvilinear configuration extending generally from the crotch outwardly and upwardly, such that each buttock is separately supported by a different one of the segments. The first support portion is formed from a material that has a first density, which is sufficient to exert a supportive, uplifting force on the buttocks. Each of the segments, extend outwardly from a respective or corresponding buttock, towards the waist portion of the underpants and in overlying relation to a separate hip area on different sides of the wearer. Due to the intended uplifting, supportive force exerted by the first support portion, it is formed of a material preferably having a Dernier or weave count of substantially 70, which is greater than the densities of at least the majority of remainder of the support portions incorporated in the underpants.
The underpants further includes a second support portion in the form of a panel disposed in overlying relation to the abdominal area of the wearer. This second support portion has a sufficient density to exert an inwardly directed force against the abdomen so as to prevent or significantly reduce any protrusion or outwardly extending bulge of the abdomen. The disposition and structure of the abdominal panel of the second support portion thereby projects a slimmer configuration, particularly in the area of the abdomen or lower stomach of the wearer. Further, the density of the second support portion may of course vary but, in at least one embodiment has a substantially equal density as that of the first support portion.
A third and fourth support portions are adjacently positioned in overlying, surrounding relation to different parts of the wearer""s thigh. More specifically, the third support portion includes a material formed of somewhat lesser density than that of the first and second support portions and is disposed adjacent to and somewhat below the elongated segments of the first support portion which are disposed in supporting, uplifting relation to the buttocks of the wearer. This third support portion could be more generally defined as a xe2x80x9cmodelingxe2x80x9d band disposed, dimensioned and configured to slim the hip and thighs of the wearer and depending upon the embodiment, may extend above the thigh area, upwardly to a position somewhat adjacent to a mid or upper portion of the elongated segments, defining the first support portion.
The aforementioned fourth support portion includes two substantially annular bands disposed in encircling relation to different thighs of the wearer and are more specifically disposed substantially at the junction between the upper ends of the stockings or hose and the lower, leg openings of the underpants. The density of the fourth support portion is somewhat greater than that of the third support portion and, in certain embodiments, may have a density substantially equal to that of the first and second support portions. The encircling bands defining the fourth support portion are disposed, configured, and structured to exert a medium, supportive and retaining force or pressure on the wearer""s body, so as to eliminate bulges commonly occurring about the upper thighs of the wearer.
One or more additional support portions may be formed on the underpants and disposed and configured to contact or specifically overly predetermined areas of the lower torso of the wearer""s body so as to exert a retaining force thereon and thereby further add to the shaping characteristics of the reinforced undergarment of the present invention.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more clear when the drawings as well as the detailed description are taken into consideration.